He invented furnaces, cooking stoves, cast iron steel plows, and other metal items related to farming.

His scales revolutionized farming and manufacturing and were sold worldwide, and he received numerous honors and awards for his development of the technology.

[1] He was educated in the schools of Brimfield while working on the family farm in his spare time, and showed a natural inclination toward mechanics.

[9] In 1830, Fairbanks patented a hemp-and-flax-dressing device called a Haynes machine and [1][10] became the general manager of the Saint Johnsbury Hemp Company.

[16] Fairbanks scales were displayed at ten international expositions including London, Paris, Vienna, Philadelphia, Chicago, Buffalo and St. Louis, where they were awarded gold and silver medals for technological advancement.

[5] Thaddeus Fairbanks received many foreign awards, including a knighthood and the Imperial Order of Franz Joseph from the Emperor of Austria.

[19] Ownership has since changed hands several times but Fairbanks platform scales are still made in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont.

[25] Other philanthropic and civic endeavors in which Fairbanks took part included serving on the board of trustees of Middlebury College and donating to the missionary and educational activities of the Congregational church.